_Via S. Antonino. No. 9._
Vincenzio Viviani, the disciple and friend of Galileo, rebuilt his
house with the pension granted to him by Louis XIV. of France, after
the design of his pupil and friend, G. B. Nelli. Fontanelle writes in
his _Eloge_: “Viviani called his house _Aedes a Deo datae_, an apt
allusion to the name bestowed on the monarch,[116] and to the origin of
the building.... Galileo has not been forgotten, for his bust is over
the door and the story of his life is told in certain inscriptions on
either side.” From these huge scrolls the palace is commonly called
the Palazzo de’ Cartellone. Viviani was with Galileo during the last
three years of his life, and by his tender friendship in part consoled
the blind, infirm man for the loss of his daughter Maria. Named Court
Mathematician by Ferdinando II., he had much to do with regulating the
course of the rivers in Tuscany, and was greatly looked up to and
respected. He died in 1703, aged 81, leaving his real estate to his
nephew the Abbé Jacopo Panzanini for life, and then to G. B. Nelli. All
the personal estate was left to his nephew save the library of printed
books, which were to go to the hospital of Sta. Maria Nuova. After
the death of the Abbé Panzanini, Vivian’s manuscripts, amongst which
were many of Galileo which he had bought from his natural son, and of
Torricelli, were for a time religiously preserved by his heirs, but at
last the contents of the cupboards were stowed away in the granary, and
the servants began to sell them for waste paper. Senator Nelli heard of
it and bought what remained from the various shop-keepers and from the
Panzanini.
To English people the palace is interesting, as when Milton came to
Florence he stayed here as the guest of Viviani.